Missing Worlds
by SuperAlpha96
Summary: It's been years since Frisk has set everyone free from Mt. Ebott. One night, though, Sans dreams of a terrible night before they even met. Will that dream reveal anything? How is everyone cooping with the real world? No idea where this story is going, but I'm taking this one chapter at a time -
1. Chapter 1: A Dark Night Indeed

Sup folks, I've written other fanfics before, mostly anime, mostly Inuyasha. This is my first attempt at an Undertale fic. No idea where this is heading, but something magical will arise.

"Come on, Sans," Dad calls softly. "Grab Papyrus and let's go home together."

I sigh and hop off the high bar stool. Stuffing my hands in my fluffy pockets forcefully, I wear a scowl on my face, furrowing my brow.

"Why must I do everything?" I mumble. He glances back down at me through his glasses resting at the tip of his nose.

"Why Sans, you know your little brother enjoys your company much more than mine. Besides," he adds. "We need to hurry so you guys can have time to feast on my famous dish!"

"It's not famous if only three people know about it."

"Oh, well," he chuckles nervously. "Doesn't that make it all the more special? Moreover, Pap needs someone to look up to, someone he can lean on."

Not wanting another responsibility speech, I shuffle down the small corridor. The florescent lights flicker above me while Muffet's spiders scurry beside me. I glance behind me to see Dad hunched over his work with sad eyes. He looks so tall, even sitting hunched over. I _tsk_ and continue down the hall.

Sure, him being the royal scientist does have its perks. 'Home' is an escalator ride away and we get all the food we want. But I just don't like what he does: sit on a stool or run around in a panic; swirl chemicals in a bottle or write reports. I haven't seen him, but I've heard Dad mumble things about the King and the underground. Sometimes, when something goes wrong, I hear the word 'determination' float around. Of all those things I hear about, I still only see the white walls around me. I've never even stepped out of the lab because Dad says the real world is too dangerous.

Laughter bounces down the hall to me. A small smile tugs on my cheek bones as I lean against the door at the sight laid out before me. My brother, Papyrus, squeals with laughter as he runs around the computer lab. The dozen or so spiders line up and down the rows, clapping as Pap runs amok. A glint of silver catches my eye on Pap's back.

"Look Sans!" He runs towards me. Tripping on the uneven tiles, panic fills his eyes, a flicker of orange, before I catch him in my arms. Pap steadies himself, the orange light fades as he realizes he's safe. Little eyes full of excitement search for my face. "Look, these kind spiders have made me a cape!"

"A cape for Papyrus!" cries a spider to my left.

"A cape for the great Papyrus!" cries another, "The kind skeleton of the spider clan!"

Sure enough, tied around his little neck is a cape spun and woven from his playmates. It shown beautifully in the artificial lighting. I smile as I say, "That's good, Pap. You wanna go home, buddy? Dad really worked himself- to the _bone_."

I flash him a dorky smile that sends him into a fit of giggles. Nodding, he takes my hand and we turn to return to the front of the lab. Though I'm the older brother, Pap is already as tall as me. Man, I'm hoping my growth spurt will kick in any day now.

"Dreemurr…"

I jump, shoving Papyrus behind me. I scan the walls, now blue from my eyes and surprise. That voice had been soft, like steam escaping a pipe. I almost didn't catch it. Finding nothing, I relax somewhat, but keep my guard up. Pap looks at me with a concerned face, but I give him a guess-it-was-nothing look and shrug. By the time we reach Dad, papers are flying from the hectic madman.

"Yo Dad," I call to him, his back to me. "We're ready to go home and-"

"Not now Sans," he cuts me off. I blink. "I'm finally onto something. This could change things. We can better ourselves with this!"

Knowing he was on the train for Talk-ta-yourself Junction, I shake my head and head for the escalator. Pap stands solid, gazing at our father. Hurt is easily written on his face, but Dad didn't even bother to glance at his sons. Before his eyes can change to orange, I scoop him up and onto my back.

With the best fake smile I can manage, which I have been mastering sadly, I tell him, "Pap, why don't **you** make dinner tonight? I bet it would be amazing!"

That hurt look melts away. As we ride the metal stairs home, Pap decides he was going to make spaghetti, Dad's 'famous' dish.

"Wouldn't that surprise Dad delightfully so, Sans?" He cheers, bouncing happily up and down on my back. "He'll come in, all tired like he usually does, but I, Papyrus-"

"You mean the 'Great Papyrus,' don't ya kid?" I interrupt him, boosting his self-esteem. His face beams as he chatters excitedly, "Yes! I, the Great Papyrus! I'll make dinner and everyone will be happy, won't they Sans?"

I step off the escalator and we are immediately in our humble home. The first room is the kitchen with a table for three nearby. A pure white screen separates this side of the room from the beds. After that, there's another escalator that will take us back down to the lab.

"Do you need any help?" I ask as I set the tiny skeleton over my head and onto the floor. Pap simply puts his hand up and stats, "Nope, I'm going to prove that I can do this all by myself!"

"Alright, Pap," I laugh. "but I'll be sitting right here in case you need anything, 'kay?"

I sit down and rest my head on the table. It's really late, way past Papyrus's bedtime. I start to doze off while listening to my little bro clash pots and pans. After about ten minutes, I hear, "TADAAAAAAHH!"

I open my eyes to see a plate of noodles and red sauce. Granted, the noodles were not cooked because he can't use a stove yet. I scoop a boney finger in the sauce and taste it: ketchup.

"I-I-I know it's not as good as Dad's," He whimpers. I turn to him in my chair and give him a big hug.

"Papyrus, this is the best plate I've ever had! You must make more, the duty of sustaining this family with delicious spaghetti falls you, Pap," I announce with a wink.

At that moment, I hear a crash downstairs. His eyes flicker orange as I tell him, "Stay here Pap, I'll go and check on Dad."

I leave him behind with his dinner as I bolt across the flat towards the escalator going down. Taking the stairs by two, I reach the bottom floor in no time, but I know what was done, was done.

I stop in my tracks, frozen by the sight before me. Dad is on the ground, panting. Papers fly abundantly, shielding us from the black shadow towards the back of the room. Instantly, I run for dad's side. He doesn't look good: he's conscious, but he's badly wounded. His skull is smashed in, cracks dance on his face, even his hands have holes in them.

"Dad…." I squeak out. "What happened?"

He jerks his head up at me, fear in his eyes. His eyes dart around until they find the 'thing' in the back, only fifteen feet away from us. The only thing that divides us from 'that' is a handful of work stations. Dad pulls me close.

" " he cries. " "

I shake my head slowly. "Dad, I…. I don't understand…"

Did getting hit in the head hinder his ability to speak? Did the 'thing' in the back do this to him? Before I can get any answers, I'm snatched up off the ground. My jacket saves me from splatting all over the ground. I look up, but only see darkness. My eyes glow a bright blue as the creature flings me down the hall. Hitting the metal wall with such strength forces my head to fling back. The sharp pain spreads all through my body. I slump to the cold floor and don't get up.

Even with the black creature shifting my way, I don't get up.

I barely see Dad with my fuzzy eyes waving his hands frantically,yet I remain motionless on the floor.

The creature picks me up. Without hands, its magic must be what's holding me up in the air. I barely register that we're traveling down deeper in the lab, to the parts Pap and I were never allowed in. Keeping my eyes open takes up too much energy, I can't even lift my head. I feel us pause.

I vaguely hear Dad's voice, though the language is completely foreign to me. Again, I am thrown- down, down, down without hitting a bottom. The air is getting hotter and hotter. I open my eyes to see the window getting smaller and smaller.

I was going to close my eyes. I was going to let go, to accept my fate.

But then the pain seeps in.

The torture slips into every joint, every bone. I feel as if I'm being consumed by a thousand fires- no, a thousand suns. I let out a scream from deep within my soul. Then it too, experiences true pain. My soul cries out as it's being torn apart in this everlasting freefall.

It can't be long now. Surely release will come soon.

I look up back at my last glimpse of home, my only regret being that I told Papyrus to stay upstairs. How scared he must be right now…

" " I hear Dad's voice so close to me, I search for him. There, right in front of me, is the skeleton I call 'Dad' : W.D. Gaster. He's reaching for me with his hollowed out hands, determination etched in his broken skull. Finally, realization dawns on me and I reach back for him. When he grabs me, he pulls me close.

The pain is so intense, tears flow freely from my eye sockets. In that moment, however, as he completely surrounds me with his body, silence fills the space around us. I don't know why, but a feeling of dread washes over me as if I predict the end for the both of us is near. Dad whispers in my ear, "I'm sorry."

The pain disappears, the world stops as I pull back to see him smiling. Not a happy smile, but the one that tries to sing happiness with a sad song.

He slowly spins us around to where he is the one cushioning the blow. It's then that I see where the mysterious creature had thrown us.

Into the core.

No one has ever been exposed to core's effects. No other living specimen has ventured into the core, let alone come back alive. But Dad, for some reason, doesn't seem worried about me.

 _No…_

His eyes flash blue and orange.

 _No!_

He let's go of me and falls faster than me. Magic flames sprout from the hollows of his hand and dance deliberately towards me. I slow in the air and hear a soul-curdling shriek, one that shatters the heart into an impossible small flecks of despair. The creature is engulfed in an orange light connecting the beast to Dad. As it gets closer, I'm being pushed towards the window of home. As we near each other I hear its hiss, "Dreemurr…"

My eyes widen, but the beast is soon sent spiraling after my dad, away from our world. I'm thrust through the window and collide with the opposite wall. The screech of the metal door sealing shut brings a very small relief to mind.

I don't get up from where I've collapsed. My body is racked with pain and exhaustion. My soul is drained of feeling.

An hour later, an hour of laying in the dark between paralyzed with pain or numb because of it, I manage to see the precious hues of orange slowly creeping my way.

 _Dad? Did you somehow make it around that horrible creature and make back to Pap and me? We need you. This is our only home-_

Just as the source of the warm glow rounds the corner, it dawns on me that Dad is never coming back. Pap walks slowly in the dark. When the power went out, I'm not sure.

 _He hasn't spotted me yet? God, he's gonna ask where Dad went, where he is… I have to get him out of here before anything else goes wrong. Thank whatever power above or below that he's safe._

"P-Pap?" I manage to get out. My voice is deeper, and drags all the way out until spoken. My little brother shines his lights on me and is by my side immediately.

"Sans… what happened? There was so much noise and you're beat up and where's Dad and-"

"Pap, we need to get out of here. Now. Once we do that, I'll answer any questions you have."

 _But how much truth they have in them is a pretty slim idea at the moment._

I manage to pick myself up and shuffle through the corridors. After too many lefts and rights, I'm forced to have Papyrus support me through the remaining halls. As we pass through Dad's work area, where we first encountered the black creature, I hear the same letters I've been hearing. The same letters in a different order.

"Murderer…"

I glance at Pap, but he doesn't make any notion that he's heard the soft, dark voice as well. A chill run downs my spine, but instant relief levitates some of the worry as soon as we pass through the door to the outside. That is when the unspoken dam breaks.

"Sans ," Papyrus starts. "We're are undoubtabley outside now, so let me ask my questions. Where is Dad, Sans? In all our time walking out, we never saw anyone else besides ourselves. Why are you so injured, dear brother? "

I squeeze my eyes shut, as if doing that small act could drown out the world. The Hotlands are dry and miserable, but are a paradise compared to this conversation. I feel Pap's shaky hands tighten around me as we continue walking away from the large building looming in the early hours of morning. Compared to the core, it's freezing out here.

"I… I can't talk about it, Pap."

We slow until we come to a stop, exhaustion and pain sending me into shakes and shivers. My bones rattle like a wind chime caught in a constant gust.

"Sans," He starts. I can't look at his eyes. I know if I do, my heart will break more so than it felt in the core. "Sans, I need to know what happened to our-"

"Stop!" I shout, denying the truth from myself as much as him. I can't say the words out loud. I take his head between my hands, our eyes connecting. Blue versus orange. "Stop. Talking. About. Dad. Just stop! Don't even think about it-"

His eyes…. He isn't even looking at me anymore, but past me rather. I search his face until I see my own hands. A blue flame emits from my hands, swirling around Pap's head lazily. In shock, I let go. Immediately Papyrus closes his eyes and collapses.

"No!" I cry. No, I can't lose them both, not in one day! "Papyrus come back! Papyrus! Pap…."

My own pain fades as adrenaline sinks deep in my bones. I pick up my last connection to this world, my only sense of family. He's so little, so fragile. That silver cape made by the kindness of his friends, or rather, by his kindness they made the cape for him.

"Pap, please!" I fall to my knees as I cradle him in my arms. "Please don't do this to me."

I study his face and feel joy as his face twitches. He gently wakes up and his eyes connect with mine.

"Hey Sans, how's it going? What are we doing here?" Papyrus says calmly. He stands without a problem and I struggle to do the same. "Gosh I, the Great Papyrus, am positively starving. Sans I will make my famous dish: spaghetti!"

I stare at him, not sure of what I'm seeing, of what I'm hearing. He looks at me sheepishly and adds softly, "Though it's not really famous if only two people know it."

Oh god. I did something to his mind, his memories. He doesn't remember dad, but he remembers what we always ate, he remembers me. He just doesn't remember dad…

"That's alright Pap, it's famous enough for me!" I cheer half-heartedly. "Besides, if you practice at it, I'm sure you will be so famous, everyone will love you and you'll be too popular for little old me."

"Never, dear brother of mine!" He declares. "But anyway, we need to get home… I just can't seem to remember where that is, nyeh heh heh heh…."

I take his hand and just start walking. I tell him, "Don't you worry, big brother Sans never forgets where our home is. It's far away from here, so it'll take a while. And I might pause here and there to remember _exactly_ where it is, but we'll get there soon." I lie. But there is one truth: I was going to take us as far away as possible from this hell hole. I never want Pap to experience what I went through.

I vow to never use these powers forced upon me. Not unless there is no other way, not unless Pap's life is in danger. And if anything _ever_ happens to him… God help their soul from me throwing _them_ down into the core. No, I won't even lift a finger against another soul unless absolutely necessary.

We start walking towards the far end of the rocky terrain, following the river when-

"NYAAAA!" I bolt upright in bed. Sweat drenches the sheets as the room lights up in blue. Why did I have that dream? It's been years since Frisk broke the barrier and freed the monsters. It's been even longer since that fateful night occurred. I just start to calm down when I hear footsteps pounding down the hall. My door bursts open and there stands Frisk in her night wear, hand resting on the knob. Her eyes meet mine and the blue glow dies down.

"Sans," She asks, walking slowly my way. She sits on the edge of the bed and takes my hand in hers. "Sans are you alright? Another bad dream?"

I settle for a more comfortable position and smile dumbly at her. "Yeah, kiddo. It's okay though, I'll be okay."

"Sans," she laughs softly. "I'm not a kiddo anymore! I'm twenty years old now."

"Yeah, I suppose you are." I smile sadly. It's hard to see her grow up while I don't age. Oh well, most people are like that towards the people they protect, aren't they?

"Do you want me to stay?" Frisk whispers, "Or do you think you're strong enough to battle this one out?"

"Heh, I'll be okay. I'll see you in the morning, kid."

She leans over and kisses my cheek. Non-romantically, of course but a slight blush creeps across my face at her cutness. We've been friends since I pulled the whoopy cushion – hand shake joke on her. With her being ambassador of the monsters in the human world, the stress has pulled her closer to our world. Though, if she travelled to Mt. Ebott in the first place, did she like the world she lived in very much? I shiver at the thought, of what she might have done. Even all this time, I've never dared to ask to talk about it.

Frisk raises an eyebrow. "Are you sure? I don't mind snuggling up to you like I did when I was younger."

Ah. We both leaned on each other after we made it out of the underground. She had nightmares of her times under the mountain, of events that happened in and out of this timeline.

I laugh, "Well, I won't object if you do." I pat the space next to me and scoot over. Frisk lays down next to me, wiggling until she gets comfortable. Tomorrow would be a whole new day.

The ten year anniversary of the breaking of the barrier.


	2. Chapter 2:

A/n: Thank you for reading this fic! College is about to start up again for me, but I'm going to try to continue to write this.

Again, I finally figured out where this story was going… to the end of the chapter, lol. If you have any suggestions, feel free to review or pm me! If I borrow you're idea, I'll make sure to credit you. 3

The rest of the night went without another occurrence. I roll in my bed against the morning light until I hear a burst of annoyance.

"Sans, move over," Frisk says sleepily. "You elbowed me in the ribs, dude." She snuggles deeper under the covers.

When did she get under them? A small blush creeps across my face as I mutter an apology and gently move away. Carefully, I manage to get out of my bed without disturbing her once more. I turn to leave but before I do, I sneak one more glace at her sleeping face.

That face has seen many great, wonderful things as well as horrible hells no one should experience and despite it all, she's still here today with me, with all of us from the underground. I creep across the carpet until I reach my door when something catches my eye.

A demonic grin spreads across my face.

I quickly pull a small contraption together made out of the objects I found lying outside my closet door. I close my bedroom door as I whisper softly, "Sweet dreams, Frisk."

In the hallway, I can already smell the magnificent breakfast Papyrus must be cooking. Passing his room, I walk down the stairs and hear him and Toriel speaking in soft tones to each other.

Waltzing into the kitchen, the cautious chatter immediately came to a halt.

 _Hmmmm…. That's suspicious…._

"Sans!" Papyrus cheers, waving a spatula in the air. "Toriel was kind enough to stop by to see Frisk before her big speech! She even has a beautiful gown for her to wear-"

"Though I'm certain my child will object to it," Tori interrupts. She sits calmly at the small table. Tori has always been a mother to Frisk. When the barrier was broken and the little squirt could have gone anywhere she wanted, Frisk had already decided that she was going to stay by Tori's side. Well, she lives at my and Pap's house, but will frequently visit her goat mom. She continues, "I doubt Frisk will agree to wearing anything of this… flashy sort, but when I saw it, I knew it would be perfect for today-"

From upstairs, an obnoxiously loud horn is sounded. A short shout and thump later, I hear footsteps dashing through the house, down the stairs and stop right in front of me: a not-so-happy morning Frisk.

"Well, hey there kiddo. Did you wake up with a bang?" I joke, ready for whatever she might literally throw at me.

"You jerk! I open the door and that trombone of yours starts blowing in my face." I know she's mad. But hell, that flushed face of hers is just too cute to not provoke out of her. Ever since I stacked twenty or so hot dogs on her head after her little pockets were full and her cheeks blazed red, I've been doing things here and there to get that same reaction. Just too darn cute.

"You scared me to death!" She shouts, bringing me back to the present. "I thought I had been shot!"

"Well," I chuckle. "Guess you can say you were just trom _boned._ "

"Oh Sans no," Papyrus face palms. I see Tori look away slightly, rolling her eyes and finding the spear carvings Undyne leaves on our table to be much more interesting. Frisk, on the other hand, looks at me dumbly and lets her jaw drop slightly. As my words sink in, she promptly closes her mouth and looks away, crossing her arms across her chest. Her lips pout slightly as I hold my hands up and shrug.

"Hey, I just haven't pulled one out on you in a while, dork. I can't be getting rusty over here."

She shakes her head and sits at the table next to Tori, avoiding my gaze.

I shrug again and stroll to the other side of the kitchen to grab up some of the feast Pap has prepared since early this morning.

Pap leans towards me and whispers, "Today's the big day, eh? Our little human is growing up and making the Great Papyrus so proud."

I smile softly, "Yeah, I guess she is-"

"Oh Toriel!" Frisk exclaims from behind us, her chair knocked back behind her when she stood up suddenly. Tori has in her hands an off-white dress; it appears as though the spiders made that specifically for Frisk. The dress shown brilliantly in the artificial lighting of the kitchen. "I… It's so lovely I can't… It's just not me. I'm not the fancy type, I never deserved to look good or beautiful in those types of dresses, Tori."

As predicted, she's trying to reject the dress. Tori's face softens as she says, "My child, you of all people should know how beautiful you are, inside and out. Will you at least try this dress on?"

Sighing, I watch Frisk gently take the dress and walk out of the room. Pap turns to me and asks, "Were you and the human having another sleepover last night, Sans?"

In the corner of my eye, I can see Tori blush.

"It's not what you think, calm down Tori," I explain before she could get any ideas in her head. "I just had an unpleasant dream and the kid came in to make sure everything was alright. When she knew I was going to be okay, she decided to sleep in the bed since there were only a few more hours left."

"You can't keep doing that, Sans," Tori says in a tone of voice I've never heard before, directed at me at least. "She's becoming a young woman. She needs a sense of normalcy if she's ever going to find a mate for life-"

"What are you guys talking about?" We all turn and the room grows silent.

 _The spiders did a damn good job… too damn good…._

"Oh Frisk, my dear!" Tori cries, walking around the human and motioning her to turn. In every spot available, light reflected in the most beautiful way. Her dress was short in the front and grew longer in the back, with ruffles to spare. The delicate design on the spider's silk shown all sorts of butterflies, a design that could only be seen when only a few feet away. The neckline dipped gracefully until it met….

I feel my cheeks warm slightly and look away.

"Why did you choose this, Tori?" Frisk asks, gathering the dress in handfuls to emphasize. "I mean, this dress is too nice, too beautiful for someone like me. I mean: white and butterflies?"

Tori's hands glide down Frisk's shoulders, past the three-quarter length sleeves and grab her hands.

"My child, I chose the color white because since the first moment I saw you, I knew you were a being of pure innocence even when it was so easy to give in to your fear and hurt your enemies. And the butterflies, well, I thought of you being the independent woman you have become. And I had hoped, when I saw this, that you would spur ideas of a wedding gown one day."

Everything Tori said was correct. Absolutely was Frisk scared out of her mind back at the underground, even when I secretly kept an eye socket out for her, but when she saw me in the open, it appeared as though her worries melted right down her back. A smile was always there for me. But that last part, about her marriage and the discussion early about her mate for life… The idea of someone claiming her just seemed to rub me the wrong way. Here before me was a beautiful woman in white, who has seen the darkest of evils enough for thousands of lifetimes. Why am I getting worked up? It's the natural order of things for her to… yeah…

"Sans?" I barely hear Frisk say. "What's wrong?"

"What?"

"Your eyes…."

 _Shit_

I calm down and the hint of blue has vanished.

"Well, it's obvious that Sans doesn't like this dress-" Frisk huffs.

"Kid, I didn't mean-" I try to explain, some dark feeling gripping my heart.

"But the clothing option is the least of my concerns. What I'm absolutely _thrilled_ about is the speech… maybe I haven't practiced enough?"

"Frisk, my child," Tori hugs Frisk, hiding her from my view. "You have been excellent at these types of ordeals for a decade now. No one could have filled these shoes except for you and you alone. Not once during these past ten years, no- not once in the entire time I've known you have I ever had a speck of doubt cross my mind. I and the rest of the monsters that have come to love you have complete confidence in you."

Even across the room with Papyrus, I hear the little sniffle that breaks all of our hearts. Within that second, both Pap and I cross the room and the three of us surround Frisk with all of our love.

The city hall was decorated in a magnitude of frivolities. Already, a few thousand people have gathered around the steps where the ceremony will be held soon. I'm dressed up: a deep blue dress shirt and black dress trousers. "Sunday attire" I once heard a woman describe me as.

The mayor has already made several speeches and dedications to Frisk. Soon, the first ambassador of the monsters will enter the stage and will give an empowering speech. After that, Grillby's will cater the meal afterwards. It should be dark then and the city has decided to set off fireworks in her honor as well as the anniversary. Yes, tonight should be wonderful. Surely it'll set things easily for Frisk for a while.

 _I wonder how she'll look under the fireworks' glow…_

The sound of the music beginning in the orchestra pit brings me to the present. Though I'm some hundred feet from the stage, the sight before me takes my breath away. Though I see before me a grown woman making her way across the stage to the podium, I still see that little girl walking through the ruins with both fear and determination in her eyes.

The music dies down as Frisk prepares herself at the podium.

"I want to thank everyone that came today," She starts, the crowd applauds enthusiastically. "And I want to thank my family that has been with me from the start. When I traveled up to the legendary Mt. Ebott, I did not have much hope for myself. But when I emerged from the mountain, I was filled with hope, with determination for this world and what it may become."

A smile forms across my face as I look proudly at what my girl has grown into. The crowd cheers and shouts louder than before.

"And today! Today is the day that ten years ago we emerged from darkness to form a better educated, more diverse population inhabiting this earth. One that all of us, man and monster, even Asgore, the prior king of the underground, are proud to call 'home.'"

I hear the crowd cheer happily, but I also hear something else: shouts of indignation, of resentment. But I can't locate the source; they are easily drowned out in the thousands around me.

"And I know that we will continue to live in harmony!" Frisk cries happily, smiling to her ears and her eyes bright. "I am determined to see that future and-"

The screams of terror in the crowd draw her attention to her right. Before her smile can have a chance to fade, there is a loud crack in the air.

A sinking feeling settles in my heart; shivers dancing down my spine.

 _People are screaming._

I know.

 _People are running, in every direction._

I know.

But all those souls fade as I see Frisk's body collapse behind the podium. Her hand peeks around the corner with red smears on it.

 _No, God this can't be happening._

"Sans!" I hear Papyrus, but he sounds so far away. An idea comes to mind.

"Pap!" I shout to him above the panicked swarm. "Get Frisk and get her somewhere safe! Now!"

The tall skeleton makes use of his longs legs and makes it to the stage in five strides.

In the corner of my eye, I notice three dark figures stalking through the crowd calmly. I study them closer and notice the glint of a small firearm in the hand of one of the figures.

Before I know it, all I see is blue and have the three assailants up in the air with my magic.

In my lowest voice possible I explain, "The sun is shining, birds are singing. On days like this, punks like you-" I bind the magic even tighter against their bodies. "Should be burning in hell."

With my free hand I begin to form magic bones out of thin air.

"Sans, no!" A fragile voice tells me. I spin so fast, I nearly slam the fools in my grasp across the pavilion. Papyrus has returned with a pitiful Frisk in his arms. Her eyes are full of agony.

It only makes me want to kill the punks even more. To see what they aimed for in front of my eyes. To witness what they have already achieved….

 _I want them to experience true hell!_

"Sans!" Frisk forces my attention back to her. Her white dress, so beautiful before, is now soaked in her blood. Those tiny butterflies are slowly transforming into devilish grins that promise pain and sickles that seek lives for their own. Even while carrying her bridal style, I see the blood continue to pump from her left shoulder, right where her heart should be.

"Papyrus!" I yell at my younger brother, still apprehending the attackers. "Why the hell did you bring her here!? Where's Toriel!?" Sweat forms and beads down my skull. The dress shirt feel so confining compared to my fluffy jacket.

"Toriel ran to get the human some monster food. It has always been able to heal her quickly. Besides," he continues, holding her closer to himself. "Frisk is safest when she is by your side."

The attackers struggle against my magic and one of them cries out, "F*ck you, Frisk! You think you're so high and mighty introducing and integrating monsters and humans, but you only introduced mankind to death's door!"

"So we, the Pro Humanity Division, want you to meet it first," yelled another.

 _They're human,_ it finally dawns on me. _All three of them are human._

I yell and slam all three into the ground. By now the grounds have cleared and only a mere few stick around. In the distance, sirens sound.

"Sans," Frisk says weakly. "This. This isn't you. You don't do this. I wasn't up there saying crap I didn't feel about."

I close my eyes, unable to take in everything.

The sirens come to a stop and I hear the police car's doors slamming shut, the pounding of footsteps heading our way.

"Sans? Please…"

My eyes bolt open to see Pap gently rocking Frisk, but looking at me with sad eyes.

My world stops.

Using my magic, I bring all three idiots close to my face as I grit through my teeth, "You better be religious, because you outta be prayin' to whatever sorry god that allowed you to even exist. If that girl dies, I will hunt you down and make sure you follow."

I flick their bodies in the general direction of the police.

I turn to my younger brother, "Let's go, now!"

Already I can see perspiration on her brow while her lips and cheeks fade dangerously in lack of color.

We make it to a small tent meant to host Grillby's catering, but he's more than understanding when we hastily clear a table and lay Frisk on top of it. I grab her right hand and find it cold to the touch. Toriel rounds the corner with a pan of her famous cinnamon-butterscotch pie.

"The paramedics are on the way to remove the bullet, magic can't do that." Tori informs us. "Oh my dear child."

Papyrus, knowing she was about to break down, coaxes Tori outside. I hold Frisk's hand and only her shallow breathing fills the air between us. Without taking my eyes off her, I cut a slice of the ultra healing pie and cut it into smaller bites. I sit next to the kid and gently whisper, my voice getting caught in tears that refuse to shed, "Come on, Kid. Eat up."

She made no move to eat, nor did she acknowledge me. That's when I notice her soul. With the magic from the core, I'm able to see her heart, her soul.

An entire slew of curses ran through my mind at what I saw. When she is at full HP, her heart glows a healthy red. Right now, I can see it deep within her body, shriveled. Tears flow freely as I see each crack form in slow motion. I'm tempted to shove the entire pie into her head and shake her awake, but I know I'm too late. I find myself gripping the forkful of food and the plate so hard, they snap and fall onto the ground.

Then, a skeletal finger gently taps Frisk's heart. It pulses once, twice, three times and it swelled slightly. Her eyes flutter briefly and she gasps for air by the lungful. Though overjoyed, I follow the hand to its owner and see the face of her savior.

What I see, I recognize. What I recognize, confuses me.

 _Even after all this time, despite everything, it's still you._

I see the man with the cracked skull. He does not seem to notice me but continues to gaze sadly at our girl. He wears all black and utters in a language I still don't completely understand-

But I have been practicing.

"Dad?" I ask in the strange language.

As if just noticing my existence, he jumps slightly and cocks his head. Gradually, I watch as he fades away, as if he were never there.

I stare at the space he just occupied.

"Sans…" A little voice gently commands my attention.

"Oh," I say, coming back to this reality. "Here kiddo, you need to eat this."

Just as I'm about to grab her another slice of pie, her bloodied hand grabs the hem of my shirt.

"Thank you, Sans." She pants out.

I come back to her side with the food and tell her, "Not a problem at all, Frisk."

I manage to feed her a few bites and help her wash it down with water by the time paramedics come rushing through the tent. I allow them to take her away. I know they'll take care of her in ways the magic can't, but I can already see the magic healing her in other ways. The bleeding has slowed to almost a stop; the color is back in her lips and cheeks; the stress building on her brow relaxes.

They cart her away, but I know she'll be okay. I walk over by Tori and Pap, no words are spoken between the three of us as we watch the ambulance pull away with our girl.

Thank you all who are reading this fic. If you have any constructive criticisms or ideas, feel free to leave a review. Or if you just want to say hi, I'll see that and feel…. DETERMINATION!

xD


	3. Chapter 3: Reunited

a/n: Welp, I'm already back at college, but I hope to continue to write. I have a feeling this story is leaning towards… well, let's just say that I finally have some idea of where this is going. ^-^

It was hard… really hard. The time Frisk spent away at the hospital, that is. There wasn't really any warmth between any of us, silence stretched longer and longer until that was the only thing between all of us from the underground. Toriel was the only one who would visit her, the only one brave enough. She was gone for a few hours but when she came back, she collapsed in our arms in tears. That was the only time she went, it's been a week since then.

Today was the day Frisk would be released from the hospital's care. I've been both looking forward to and dreading this day for a long time. Deep in my bones, I'm scared. I'm scared of how banged up she's going to be.

I've been pacing the front room for the past two hours, waiting for that kid to get here. There's a soft knock on the door- I open it immediately and see two medium-sized humans in uniform. They smile gently, like the way they're supposed to when greeting other people.

I look down and see Frisk, our Frisk in a wheelchair between them. She smiles sheepishly at me, and I do likewise. The male explains that she wasn't shot directly in the heart, which would have killed her instantly, but just above it. Being so close to the vital organ and being shot at all has severely weaken Frisk, thus the wheelchair. She could start physical therapy in the next couple of days, but she needed to seriously take it easy.

"Little squirt's been so determined to get here," the female paramedic jokes lightly.

"I can imagine," I reply dryly. "Well, welcome home kiddo." I sign a few papers for the uniforms and shut the door. I turn around and Frisk has already made it to the other side of the house.

"HUMAN!" I hear Papyrus cry, literally. I would be too, but some of us need to stay dry-eyed for her.

I walk into the kitchen and see her crying in the arms of everyone. From Papyrus to Tori to Mettaton, it would appear as though we've been hiding half the underground in our kitchen alone. There are cheers and a certain skeleton starts serving his famous dish around the table. All the warmth that had been sucked out of this house for the past two weeks and handful of days has returned ten-fold in our tiny kitchen with Frisk in the center. Damn kid, you know you're the center of our world, right?

The evening ticks by similar to a holiday gathering would, then people started trickling off one by one. When all that remained was just Frisk, Papyrus and me, we start to head off for bed.

One problem; she's sleeping upstairs. There's no way she's sleeping on the couch down here, she's sleeping upstairs in her room. She told Papyrus her goodnights at the foot of the stairs and told him to go on ahead of her. When he protested, she gestured for him to lean in closer. I arch my brow bone, but suddenly he straightens up significantly so, mutters his goodnights and leaps up the stairs to his room.

Frisk is still laughing as I ask her, "What did you do to poor baby bones?" Her face still flushed pink, she gives me the same 'come closer' gesture she did to my little brother. I lean in close as she cups her hand around her mouth as if to whisper something super-secret to me.

Instead, I feel a pair of lips brush my cheekbone. I stand up straight, the spot where she kissed me still warm. She laughs at my reaction and says, "Goodnight Sans, I'll see you in the morning. Don't worry about me, 'kay?"

Though her sneak attack has left me slightly baffled, I let her play her game. She smiles as I sprint up the stairs and pretend to close the door behind me. Instantly, as soon I hear the door click, I've teleported downstairs behind her. She's still unaware, but I watch as she wheels around to the edge of the wall and the stairs. Her knuckles whiten as she grips the armrests to steady herself up. I can hear her grit her teeth, causing me to wince, but she slowly makes her way up.

One step. Done.

Two steps. Doublely done.

On the third step, Frisk loses her footing and starts to tumble. I'm right behind her, catching her before she has a chance of getting hurt. A small gasp escapes her.

"Hey kiddo, didn't I say I was going to keep an eye socket out for ya?"

I see her face flush under her bangs. Her lips press together and form a thin line. I pick her up and start carrying her up the rest of the stairs to her room while she continues to hide her face the whole time.

"It's okay, Sans." She mutters. "You don't have to do this."

Using my blue magic, I open the door and bring her inside.

"Wouldn't dream of doing anything else, Kid." I lay her in her bed. She immediately rolls over to hide her face from me. I hear a small whimper of pain.

 _She must really hate me. I don't know what else it could be._

I know it was wrong not to visit her, but I was there when she was younger: she had been bullied from the human kids with one of them bringing a knife. She ended up getting a small cut on her arm but that was nothing compared to what I did to the kid immediately afterwards, I was walking towards them to pick her up from school after all. But seeing the stitches and needles and… it was just hard to see on our little girl. And if I thought that was bad, being shot would surely have needles up her arms and all sorts of wires all over her. I just can't handle that torture

 _But my decision has seemingly driven a wedge between our friendship. If she can't even stand to look at me, well…_

I mutter my goodnights and I turn to leave her alone. If she doesn't want me near her, I'll gladly make myself scarce. A small tug on my jacket prevents me from doing so. I can hear her crying before I see the tears. I look back at her, her teeth clenched so as not to openly cry out. I pause, just looking at her. She's twisted around, her left hand propping her up and supporting her weight. The neck of her sweater has slipped over that shoulder and I can clearly see the bandages and stitches from her surgeries.

My heart drops at the sight.

Without saying a word, I allow her to tug me closer, until I'm sitting on her bed next to her. For a while, silence poisons the air around us. Something so simple is suffocating the both of us. If she has anything she needs to say, I'm not worming it out of her. She'll tell me when it's easier for her.

"Sans?" She whispers shakily. Or perhaps that time is now. "Why didn't the time reset?"

This raises my concern to a whole new level.

"What do ya mean, Kiddo? You haven't-"

"I died, Sans!" Frisk rapidly whirls around to face me, her hands gripping my jacket. Tears are steadily streaming down her face. "I died on that picnic table in Grillby's tent. We both saw my heart crack- it always does that before it shatters and sends me to the last save point."

Bringing back the bad memories, I hardly notice the room glow a soft blue. I hug Frisk close to me, to remind us both that she's still very much alive.

"I know-"

"Who was he?" She demands. The room flashes briefly a bright blue as I attempt to regain my composer. "Who was the man who brought me back from ruining everything?! If I died, I would have to fight Asriel again, or at least start these past ten years over, I can't even remember. Damn it, Sans! I'm so stupid."

She flops back on her bed next to me, the tears still flowing on both sides.

 _Frisk has been blaming herself? Has she been blaming herself that whole time in the hospital? F*cking hell, I really regret not visiting her. But what about the man? Did she really meet Gaster as well?_

"Frisk… Tell me about the man," I say emotionlessly. My eye sockets are pitch black, but she won't be able to tell.

She sighs and explains, "He… just appeared next to me. I think he was a skeleton like you and Papyrus, but his skull had two large cracks in it. It looked like he had a permanent smile on his face, though his eyes looked really sad…"

She turns to me quickly. "But that's not the first time."

I shake my head, "What?"

"I met him before… in the underground…" She flops back onto her pillow, clutching the area just below her shoulder. "Anyway, when I saw him when I was on the table, I knew I was dead. And yet… when he was looking at me, he wasn't looking at my body, the physical me, he was looking right at _me._ He spoke to me, in my mind, but… I couldn't understand. I could kinda get a gist of what he was saying somehow, but not actual words."

"And what did he say?" I'm in shock. It _is_ Gaster, there's no other person or monster that could hope to fit that description. It's all I can do to utter something to get these… happenings off her chest and off her mind.

Frisk looks me in the eyes, "He said, 'The next war is upon us'."

a/n

Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I'm getting really good ideas for this fic now. This fandom is growing and all the amvs and fan art is filling me with determination!

My other pet project besides this fic is a crochet blanket of the skeleton brothers in color 8-bit style.

NYEH HEH HEH HEH!

Also, I have exams every two days (Nothing stressful, right? ;_;) so the next chapter may take a while. Please review! The more feedback I receive, the better the story will turn out!


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